As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
External batteries for use with information handling systems are becoming increasingly popular. Such external batteries often couple to a direct-current (DC) power input of an information handling system and emulate the behavior of an alternating current-to-direct current (AC/DC) adapter for supplying power to an information handling system. Thus, in situations in which an AC power source is not available to power and/or charge an information handling system, a user may alternatively couple an external battery to the information handling system in lieu of the AC/DC adapter to provide power to operate and/or charge the information handling system.
Many information handling systems are configured such that they receive from an AC/DC adapter, in addition to electrical energy for powering the information handling system, a signal indicating the power delivery capabilities of the AC/DC adapter. Such signal is generally over a unidirectional communication pathway that permits communication of signals from the AC/DC adapter to the information handling system, but not vice versa. Thus, the information handling system may not have a mechanism to actively poll the AC/DC adapter to acquire updated power delivery capabilities, nor would it often need to, as the power delivery capabilities of an AC/DC adapter typically remain static. However, the power delivery capabilities of an external battery emulating an AC/DC adapter may vary over time as a function of one or more factors including the external battery's state of charge, state of health, temperature, and/or other factors, and existing approaches do not adequately provide a manner in which an external battery may communicate dynamically changing power delivery capabilities to the information handling system.